1
as in curses
a source of harm or misfortune
regarding the new laborsaving machinery as a bane, the 19th-century Luddites went about destroying it in protest
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in poisons
a substance that by chemical action can kill or injure a living thing
a plant that is believed to be the bane of the wolf
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Recent Examples of banes
The actresses play the delightful mother-daughter duo Angela and Ainsley — who are oftentimes the banes of Tommy's (Billy Bob Thornton) existence — in the Taylor Sheridan series.
—
Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 28 Dec. 2025
But along with ready cash, the laissez-faire approach brought the banes of corruption, criminal infiltration, and rampant pollution.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
The aforementioned around-town mileage, for example, was one of the biggest banes of the Jeep owner's existence.
—New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2025
Julia Moore, PEOPLE, 28 Dec. 2025
But along with ready cash, the laissez-faire approach brought the banes of corruption, criminal infiltration, and rampant pollution.
—Charlie Campbell, Time, 15 Oct. 2025
The aforementioned around-town mileage, for example, was one of the biggest banes of the Jeep owner's existence.
—New Atlas, 27 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for banes
Noun
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Chants laced with curses echo through Madison Square Garden.—
Albert Samaha,
Washington Post,
3 June 2026
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This energy can even cause a jinx, curses or even death.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
2 June 2026
Noun
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Anyone concered about a wild rat infestation should contact a professional exterminator or vector-control agency, since commercial poisons can still allow for the spread of the disease.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
11 June 2026
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At least five toxins were detected in his body, including deadly poisons such as mercury and tetrodotoxin, according to reports from Chinese media.—
Sylvie Zhuang,
CNN Money,
28 May 2026
Noun
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Sakahara later told his son he’d been beaten and kicked and only buckled after officers began to direct the threats at people around him, said Koji, who had confronted his father about his confession.—
Yumi Asada,
CNN Money,
13 June 2026
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Damaging wind gusts and large hail are the main threats, and a tornado or two can’t be ruled out, especially in mid- to late afternoon in parts of eastern Kansas and western Missouri.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Any time people from around the world gather together, the risk of certain diseases goes up.—
Alice Park,
Time,
12 June 2026
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Water shortages, limited hygiene and extreme heat and humidity continue to accelerate the spread of these diseases.—
Sarah Ferguson,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Noun
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Manufacturers should be diligently working to clean up their supply chains and manufacturing practices to ensure their products are free of PFAS and other toxics.—
Sarah Todd,
STAT,
1 May 2026
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The Michigan Legislature passed a law in 2008 meant to protect the public from harmful electronic waste toxics.—
Nushrat Rahman,
Freep.com,
27 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Banes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/banes. Accessed 13 Jun. 2026.
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